Megan Elder, age 14, of Danville, Ill., for her question:

HOW DID THE CONESTOGA WAGON RECEIVE ITS NAME?

Conestoga wagons were the sturdy, colorful covered wagons used by American pioneers. They were also called prairie schooners and camels of the prairies.

Conestoga wagons were named for the Pennsylvania town where they were first built during the mid 1700s.

Conestogas carried most of the freight and people that moved west over the Alleghenies from the time of the Revolutionary War until about 1850.

Both ends of the Conestoga wagon were built higher than the middle. The white canvas roof was high and rounded. Wheels with broad rims prevented bogging down in mud. The wheels could easily be removed and the wagon could be used as a boat. Conestogas were pulled by teams of four to six horses.